Fears over skin cancer in young

Cancer Research UK has warned that rates of the most dangerous type of skin cancer have tripled in Britain for people aged between 15-34 since the 1970s.

More than two people under the age of 35 are diagnosed with malignant melanoma every day and the number is increasing.

The charity said sunbeds played a part in the rise in skin cancer cases.

It said using a sunbed before the age of 35 could increase a person's danger of malignant melanoma by 75%.

The charity also warned that young women had over double the likelihood of being diagnosed than young men.

The number of young women between the ages of 15-34 diagnosed with malignant melanoma in Britain now stands at eight per 100,000 and the number of young men is around four per 100,000.

More than 25% of the cases - 256 out of 913 - of the cancer diagnosed between 2006-2008 were for women aged 30-34.

People under the age of 18 cannot use sunbeds in Scotland and the law will change this year to stop children using them in England and Wales.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: "The explosion in melanoma rates we are seeing now reflects people's tanning behaviour in the past and the desire to sport a suntan - a trend which began in the seventies with the dawn of cheap package holidays."